This month saw the UK wide cinema release of the film Hector, a directorial debut by Jake Gavin about a homeless man, played by Peter Mullan, who spends his time travelling from the one service station to the next, providing him with shelter and food as well anonymity and escape. Each Christmas he makes a journey from Scotland to a shelter in London for the homeless. During his annual pilgrimage the story behind how he came to be living on the margins of society unfolds as his past life catches up with him.
Emily Barker appears in the film as one of the shelter entertainers and also composed music for the film which is released as an EP; you can order it via Bandcamp here). Below you can watch her performing the title track of the film Anywhere Away which we’ve chosen as our Song of the Day. Also below is the lyric video for Wheels and White Lines which also features Roddy Hart and the film trailer.
Anywhere Away
The song ‘Anywhere Away’ was written for Hector, but also connects with that feeling all of us have faced at one time or another: the feeling that we are being overwhelmed by circumstances out of our control, and the only place we want to be is any place but the one we’re in.
Wheels and White Lines
‘Wheels and White Lines’ is a country duet featuring the wonderful vocal talents of Scottish singer-songwriter Roddy Hart. It tells of the fleeting relationships formed when travelling; friendships that matter so much at the time, but are over as quickly as they began.
Also on the EP is ‘Roll Me in Your Arms’:
…one of the three original songs written for film, though it wasn’t used in the final cut. It’s sung from the point of view of an old traveller visiting places he knows well but finding the streets changing: shops close down one by one; people move on; the place doesn’t feel so familiar anymore.
Proceeds from the single will be donated to Shelter From The Storm.
Film Trailer
Hector is in cinemas across the UK now.
